In 1998, Paul Durham and his rock band, Black Lab, released their Geffen Records debut Your Body Above Me to critical acclaim. The album yielded the top 10 rock and alternative single "Wash it Away," and the top 40 ac and pop track "Time Ago."
Paul Durham grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho before moving to San Francisco to pursue his passion for musical invention. He recorded and toured with a group of friends under the moniker âDurham,â and made an acoustic-based singer/songwriter record with celebrated jazz producer Lee Townsend. (now available at blacklabworld.com under the title Ten Million Years: songs from the nineteen nineties).
âDurhamâ split, but a deal with Geffen Records followed, a new band was built, and Black Lab's debut was tagged as "one of this year's breakout records" (Billboard). Hollywood called, and the band contributed songs to the soundtracks for Can't Hardly Wait, Varsity Blues, Permanent Midnight, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After a year of touring, Black Lab was poised to fulfill their destiny as "the American U2" (San Francisco Chronicle) when their record label was quickly shuttered. Over the next two years, Durham left his band, fired his manager and moved to LA. "In the end, all I had were my guitars and the songs I was writing." Durham wanted to control the sound around his voice, so he bought a computer and learned to use it. "I had to get back to how it was in high school -- just me and my four-track."
The resulting demos got Durham a new deal with Epic Records. "The first thing I did was buy a giant ProTools system." The only problem was, he didn't know how to install the software. On advice from a friend, Durham hired Andy Ellis to set up his studio. "So, we're sitting around waiting for the computer to reboot," remembers Durham, "And this guy picks up my guitar, without asking. I was cringing inside, afraid of what he would play. But he was great. I wanted to sing over the top of everything he played. Pretty soon, we were writing together."
At 23, Ellis was already an accomplished guitarist, keyboard player and programmer. He had been working as an assistant to some of the best engineers in the business and knew how to twiddle some serious knobs. Durham had found the missing link between what he heard in his head and what came out of the speakers. "Working with Andy is the first time collaboration has ever been easy," says Durham. "Instead of the whole hell-is-other-people thing, we have a blast just making sounds.
See the Sun has a depth and emotional range that broadens with each listen. Much of the album was mixed by Tom Lord-Alge (Live, Blink 182, Avril Lavigne). What shines brightest is the band's pop sensibility â the liquid swirl of "Remember," the epic sweep of "See the Sun," the raging loss of "Without You," and the open-armed surrender of "Lonely Boy."
âLearn to Crawlâ was tapped as the fourth track on the platinum Spider-Man soundtrack. Produced by Durham and veteran mixer/producer Tom Lord-Alge, the song wraps an aggressive guitar riff around what Rolling Stone calls "Black Lab's tightly spun, highly melodic rock."
The title of "Ecstasy," a pulsing shadow that wakes to full rock glory, was inspired by Durham's experience recording: "The freedom to do what I wanted â in the studio across the hall from my bedroom â was amazing. I would get up late, go to the beach, then work until four or five in the morning. I got to record this album the same way I wrote it."
While See the Sun represents a zenith in Black Labâs songwriting and production, the band continues to push and expand its sound into uncharted territory, contributing a vicious techno track called âThis Bloodâ to the worldwide hit movie Blade : Trinity. Black Lab also continues to produce music for television (MTVâs Real World, âWhat I Like About You,â âThe Daysâ) as well as the upcoming film Lovewrecked.
The third Black Lab album, entitled "Passion Leaves A Trace" was released on January 16th, 2007. Highlights include the majestic "Mine Again", the jet-black remorse of "This Night" (featured in the trailer for The Shield Season 6, and on the episode "Out of the Chute" of House), the hook-laden driving force that is "The Real You", and the achingly beautiful "Ghost In Your Mind".
All things Black Lab, including streaming and free downloads from the new and past albums, can be found at blacklabworld.com.
Walk Slow
Black Lab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like her father's eyes touching her instead
And just around ten the lights low
She cuts her hair, she's walking slow I know
She's walking by herself
So go on walk by now
There's nothing left to wait around for this time
Go on walk slow now
When you're falling out. falling down
There's a cross that hangs above the gate
Are the ties that bind old enough to break
She covers her eyes covers her mouth
North carolina headed south I know
She's walking by herself
And the trees bend down where she goes
And the river gods are waiting down below
And I shut my eyes shut mouth
Shut my heart gotta cut it out I know
She's walking by herself
In the song "Walk Slow" by Black Lab, the lines bring out a profound sense of sadness and the feeling of being alone. The first verse sets the dark and eerie mood with the lines, "there's smoke from underneath the bed, like her father's eyes touching her instead." The smoke may symbolize an escape or a desire to move away from something that is causing pain, which may be linked to the memories of her father. As the song progresses, there are mentions of "the ties that bind" being old enough to break. This line could be interpreted as being about the pain of letting go of a relationship, which may be holding her back from moving forward. The singer mentions crossing the town's border, which may represent the crossing over into a new phase in her life, one where she will move on from the pain of the past.
Throughout the song, the lyrics discuss a young woman walking on her own, in the dark, and through unknown territory. The lyrics also point to her cutting her hair, a sign of change, and possibly of letting go of the things that were holding her back. The chorus is repeated, emphasizing the idea she's walking alone, and there's nothing left to wait for, adding to the theme of being weighed down and longing for freedom. The singer knows that she has to let go and move on with her life without any assistance, and this is emphasized by the lines, "There's nothing left to wait around for, when you're falling out, falling down."
Line by Line Meaning
Well there's smoke from underneath the bed
There is a sense of danger or bad omen lurking around.
Like her father's eyes touching her instead
She is haunted by her past trauma and cannot escape it.
And just around ten the lights low
It's a late and lonely night, perfect for reflection and introspection.
She cuts her hair, she's walking slow I know
She is making a drastic change and taking her time to ease into it.
She's walking by herself
She is on a journey of self-discovery and cannot be accompanied.
So go on walk by now
Don't try to stop her, let her go on her journey.
There's nothing left to wait around for this time
She has already wasted enough time, it's time to move on.
Go on walk slow now
She is advised to take her time, slow down and enjoy the journey, not just the destination.
When you're falling out. falling down
Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes we lose our footing.
There's a cross that hangs above the gate
Symbolic of spirituality, faith, and hope for a better future.
Are the ties that bind old enough to break
She is questioning the strength of her relationships and whether they will endure tough times.
She covers her eyes covers her mouth
She is trying to hide from something, or maybe from herself.
North Carolina headed south I know
She is deliberately choosing a new direction in her life, leaving behind the old and looking to the new.
And the trees bend down where she goes
Nature is aware of her presence, offering her protection and guidance.
And the river gods are waiting down below
As a metaphor for the uncharted territory lying ahead, she is aware of the potential dangers that come with the unknown.
And I shut my eyes shut mouth
The artist is aware of their own inability to help or understand what's happening.
Shut my heart gotta cut it out I know
The artist is trying to distance themselves from the situation and suppress their own emotions for fear of hurting or interfering with her journey.
She's walking by herself
Reinforcing the idea that she is the only one who can take this journey, and no one else, no matter how well-meaning, should try to take it for her.
Contributed by Ella D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.